Dodge Charger vs Nissan LEAF: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Nissan LEAF burns about $650 of fuel annually against $800 for the Dodge Charger. That $150 yearly gap compounds to roughly $750 over five years and $1,200 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City and highway economy: the Nissan LEAF leads in both cycles — 131 mpg city and 111 mpg highway against 104 and 91 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Dodge Charger is recorded with 4 distinct engine configurations (SIDI, 3.6, 5.7), the Nissan LEAF with no. Across 85 recorded Dodge Charger configurations and 26 for the Nissan LEAF, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Dodge Charger is offered with All-Wheel Drive, Rear-Wheel Drive, the Nissan LEAF with Front-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Large Cars and Midsize Cars respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.